MasterPEACE Art Show & Benefit

The Goss-Michael Foundation is hosting the June 11, 2009, 6:30 – 8:30 pm art show and benefit at their gallery on 2500 Cedar Springs in Dallas. The two hour fundraiser, streamed live, will be full of things to do, see and enjoy. The talented Dallas pianist Scott Bucklin is thrilled to be playing the John Lennon piano and will accompany the fabulous Dallas singer/actress Denise Lee and partner Gary Floyd. Raffle items include a month of yoga lessons, art books, jewelry, art works and more. John Katz’s delightful short film about the diverse groups of Dallas school children participating in the MasterPEACE lessons will be screened. And throughout the event, wine, beverages and delicacies will be served, adding to the festivities. There will be plenty to Twitter about!

Creativity and Invention

One of my favorites: Ole Evinrude got angry when the ice cream in his rowboat melted before he got to his island picnic spot - so he invented the outboard motor. from Karl Vesper

Possibilities

We make endless choices and decisions. Some are mindful, some - not so much. Challenges evolve, spiral but always come back to the same place, hopefully at a higher level.

TMtB Video story

MasterPEACE: Young artists making a kinder world. The Downtown Dallas Library is exhibiting students' collage portraits of Peacemakers from around the world through May. You can see interviews with the TMtB facilitators and teachers on our You Tube channel!
www.youtube.com/todaymarksthebegin

Computer love

Interesting how a relationship can develop between human beings and objects. People develop affection for homes, cars, chairs, blankets, old transistor radios and the like. I have some of those same affections but I never, ever, in a million years thought I could "bond" with a laptop computer. But here I am happily tapping away feeling back at home in the world wide web. It just wasn't the same trying to write, create and develop on a series of "stand-ins" without my personal laptop. I am weirdly content.

Stations Two video

A story about the transformative power of art giving voice to forgiveness under horrific circumstances. Stations TWO, an interactive artwork gathering the collective voice of forgiveness began its tour in Dallas on its way to Kigali, Rwanda to help commemorate the 15th anniversary of the genocide. Stations Two is now a part of the permanent collections at the Genocide Museum in Kigali. Please go to TMtB channel on You Tube to see the moving video by James Neel of STATIONS TWO in Kigali, Rwanda:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE1ME75ftQs

If you pause the video (video is 10 minutes in length) in the beginning so it can quickly load, you can watch it without interruption. We invite you to add comments and forward the link on to others. Please check out our website: www.todaymarksthebeginning.org to learn more about our organization and be a part of it!

Downtown Dallas Library Student Art Exhibit

J. Erik Jonsson Dallas Central Library (downtown) exhibits DIAMONDS from DUST: 152 portraits of Great Peacemakers. The collage portratraits were created by young artists in the MasterPEACE program of Today Marks the Beginning. The exhibit runs March through April with a special reception March 28, 10 - noon.

Students in two Dallas elementary schools and three afterschool programs created collage portraits of global peacemakers, resulting in this inspiring exhibit. The students were all participants in the MasterPEACE program of Today Marks the Beginning. The exhibit also includes 12 photographs by Dallas photographer John Katz, who captured the process.

Participating schools were Parish Episcopal and L.L. Hotchkiss Elementary. The three afterschool programs were at Whitney Young Elementary; J.L. Long Middle School and S.S. Conner Elementary. These afterschool lessons were done in conjunction with the Thriving Minds program of Big Thought.

The curriculum of MasterPEACE: Young Artists Making a Kinder World, focuses on combining peacemaking skills of non-violence with art experiences for the children. The particular lesson that inspired these portraits is titled "Great Peacemakers Like You and Me." The children were asked to make something out of nothing, just like these heroes who tackled extremely difficult situations. In the portraits, a bottle top could become an eye. A straw could become a nose; a piece of discarded jewelry, a hat.

All are invited!